"I have seen," continued Gomez Arias, in a solemn tone,--"I have seen
Theodora!"

"Theodora!" echoed Roque, affecting surprise. "Seen Theodora! in your
dreams, perchance, my good master."

"I have seen her," returned Don Lope, "as plainly as I now see thee.
Nay, I have spoken with her."

"Where, Senor Don Lope?"

"Here, in this very apartment."

"You astonish me," proceeded Roque, "and yet I cannot say it is so very
strange, neither; for I, myself, saw her--that is, I dreamt I saw
her--and dreams, you know, my honored master, are often the precursors
of realities."

"Enough," cried Gomez Arias; "we must now think on the means of averting
the danger."

"The danger!" quoth Roque; "in the name of _San Pablo_, what danger do
you apprehend?"

"Oh, Roque! I am threatened with the worst of evils."

"_Virgen Santa!_ what say you, Senor?"

"Theodora expects me to relinquish the intended wedding, and depart
hence with her, or she will expose me at the very altar."

"Indeed!" exclaimed Roque! "what, is not the gentle lady already tired
of rambling? Good God! I should have imagined she had had too many
mountain adventures to be longing to take another trip with you."

"Roque," said Gomez Arias, "we must remove this girl out of our way."

"Our way!" quoth the man of confidence--"our way, my good Senor? she is
not in my way, by any means."

"No, buffoonery, Sirrah! you have chosen ill your time for jesting. Now
listen, varlet. This Theodora must be disposed of; the urgency of this
measure is obvious."

"Very obvious," responded Roque.

"The sooner the better," continued Don Lope, musing.

"Exactly," rejoined the valet.

"And how this is to be accomplished," muttered Gomez Arias, "without
exciting suspicion among the household, I cannot conceive."

"Nor I," returned Roque.

"It is really the most distressing circumstance," continued his master.

"Uncommonly distressing," echoed the confidant.

"Of course," proceeded Don Lope, "I must employ stratagem; the wedding
must be delayed; I will boldly accost Don Alonso. I shall merely demand
one day, and in that short interval, every thing must be arranged, some
way or other."

Don Lope uttered this last observation with the most imperturbable _sang
froid_, and the conscientious Roque, wisely reflecting that under the
head of disposing of cumbersome damsels, there were some ways not
altogether in accordance with the dictates of conscience, ventured to
observe---